<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Ferreting Out the Truth by Lydjachan</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29474844">Ferreting Out the Truth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lydjachan/pseuds/Lydjachan'>Lydjachan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Drama, Gen, Gets darker, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, Parent-Child Relationship, Slow Burn, Spiritual</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:00:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,781</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29474844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lydjachan/pseuds/Lydjachan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has secrets. Some are kept to protect the people we care for and others are kept to protect ourselves. The cruelest secrets are hidden within our own hearts. A tale of self-discovery as a changed woman struggles to find her place in this world of mutants and beyond.</p><p>Old story archiving from ff.net - New chapters will eventually be cross-posted.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Splinter (TMNT)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT in any form or incarnation. But this story exists in the 2012 Nick world so you know. Enjoy… hopefully</p>
<hr/>
<p>I couldn't see but I could hear.</p>
<p>"AHHHHHHHHH! HELP! SOMEONE HELP!"</p>
<p>I think that I am standing, stumbling forward vainly in an attempt to reach that voice, trying to remain vertical until I feel something in my spine stretch and I collapse to the ground. I can no longer feel my legs.</p>
<p>"No! HELP!" I hear the voice coming towards me till muted thumps fill the space in front of me.</p>
<p>"Crap"</p>
<p>"Stop. Don't get any closer or the mutagen will get on you too."</p>
<p>"Uh oh"</p>
<p>"Mikey, keep the girl back, be ready for anything guys."</p>
<p>Four, there were four voices now in between me and the first one, I know that it is important to reach it but I feel so confused. I try to wipe the burning substance from my eyes in an attempt to restore my vision to asses the situation, but it is of no use, I can't make my body follow the simplest of commands. Every sinew is on fire. The sound of a scream fills my ears before it too is ripped away from me. Now all I had was a cocoon of pain.</p>
<p>Pain as senses were taken away only to be restored with such intensity that my mind was overwhelmed with them. My skin was a mass of pins and needles, I could feel the muscles underneath twitching as nerve endings misfired, trying to cope with the sensory overload. Some connection in my back is restored and I could once again feel my lower extremities, though there seemed to be more appendages there than before. Breathing is an exercise that I would rather put off but know I can't, my ribcage is sore and tender and feels like every exhale pinches my stomach. I don't know how long I exist in this state of floating torment but eventually I feel as if I may be gaining some control. My brain was beginning to reestablish what synapsis controlled what body parts and I gather my arms underneath me to push up, not trying to stand but only wishing to put some space between myself and the pavement. I shake my head and everything just feels wrong. There is too much weight in the front and I feel unbalanced, then there is no more time for an internal inventory because the outside world comes crashing back in.</p>
<p>"… can't predict what's going to happen with any mutation. They diversify based on the DNA introduced to the host organism. One would think that a mammalian cross-strain would be the most compatible towards continued intelligence but …"</p>
<p>"Donnie, can we reason with it or not?"</p>
<p>"Not an "it", have some heart, dude. That's her mom."</p>
<p>Mom, the word does something to me and the fog over my mind is starting to lift. Underneath the dialogue is the constant sound of sobbing and the occasional hitched breath. I know that sound, it awakens an instinct in me so deep that the awareness of pain is burned away by its' mere presence. Opening my eyes I see a girl is the source of the wailing, but I don't just see her as she is now. My mind flashes with images from our shared past, a baby cradled to my breast, so very tiny and helpless, a toddler covered in spaghetti and beaming up at me, a small child proudly reading me a book all on her own, an older child with the sun glinting off her hair as joyous laughter fills the air. Finally a youth with those same wracking sobs as I hold her, trying to soothe her trembling frame even as my as my own heart is filled with a longing aching sorrow for something we have both lost.</p>
<p>I know my place now and it is with this girl, she is of my flesh, I'm her Mother. I don't understand why it took me so long to remember this but now that I do, I know that I can face whatever comes next, I have an anchor point of sanity again. I also know that I have to reach her, if she's crying then she will want me. I can't let her cry like that, not again. Testing my newfound control I continue to gather my limbs underneath me, it's a shaky first attempt but I can feel hope filling me as muscles respond to my will.</p>
<p>"Well, looks like ma' over here is wakin' up."</p>
<p>The voice draws my attention and I try to make sense of what I see. Between my daughter and I are four green beings. If stop and think for a moment I'm sure that my brain would provide me with an image that they resemble, but I don't care. One glance tells me that they have no connection to me except that they are barring the path to my daughter. The creature nearest her moves to grab my child and as she flinches away from it in fear my blood boils. My focus narrows as I seek to distinguish it from the rest, to identify my target. It has a narrow strip of cloth around it's face and a quick glance tells me that the others do as well, all in different colors. Orange, as I now identify it, is undeterred by my daughter's fear and wraps its green arms around her.</p>
<p>"Shhhh, it'll be ok." The words were whispered low enough that they were meant for the girl's ear alone, nonetheless I heard them clearly. As clearly as I heard my daughter's terrified whimper in response. Snarling, I shift my hips and spring forward, determined to remove my child from this creature she was obviously afraid of. I didn't get very far.</p>
<p>"No ya don't, lady." Somehow I ended up on my back, pinned underneath another one of the creatures, Red. I feel something cold and hard pressed against my neck and I freeze. Though the red one held me down my eyes didn't rest on it for long, they shifted and rolled, my only goal being to locate my daughter. I was frantic, there was too much information to process and she was the only thing that made sense in my scattered brain. Slowly, too slowly, small pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together. I registered the creature holding me down as male, there was no denying the power and masculinity that exuded from him, and by default the others shifted from "it" to "him" in my own mental dialogue. That was all I had time for before my roaming gaze found my daughter, she was struggling weakly to free herself from the one in orange as he firmly embraced her.</p>
<p>"We don't mean you any harm." The one in blue filled my vision, the fact that he cut off the eyeline to my daughter was enough to elicit a snarl as a response to his placating words. I felt the pressure at my throat increase.</p>
<p>"I know that this must be confusing but if you can manage to calm yourself we'll an…" His words were cut off as the squeal of tires filled the alleyway and everything was illuminated by harsh headlights. Though I squinted to protect my vision the backlight caused their forms to silhouette and another piece fell into place. They had large rounded backs and the descriptor I had been searching for finally came to me. Turtles.</p>
<p>My mind stumbled over this for a moment. Walking talking fighting humanoid turtles. Nope, still didn't make any sense. Deciding that figuring out these creatures could wait I turned my attention back to the alley where the sound of doors opening and closing could be heard along with metallic stomping coming their direction.</p>
<p>"Kraang the signal that was followed to this place known as here has those which are known as the turtles in this place.</p>
<p>"Yes Kraang will be taking that which is the result of the thing known as an accident back to Kraang for that which is known as study. The creatures known as the turtles will be leaving this place or become that which is know as dust."</p>
<p>The speech was hard to tease the meaning from but obviously ended in a threat. The one in blue, he seemed to be their leader, was quick to respond. "You're not turning anyone into dust." He stood as he addressed the strange speakers, who I could not see, brandishing a long sword in their general direction.</p>
<p>"The ones known as Turtles will be disintegrated and Kraang will take that which is the specimen that is new back to Kraang."</p>
<p>"What should Kraang do with the female that is human of the size being known as small?"</p>
<p>"No witnesses would be optimal, Kraang."</p>
<p>The air was suddenly filled with an electric buzz and I could smell the distinct odor of burnt ozone. The weight was gone from my chest and chaos erupted around me. I could now sense that I was no longer the focus of these turtle-creatures attention even as I instinctively dodged the energy bolts that now filled the alley. A scream cut through the cacophony of the battle and I saw my daughter collapse to the ground before she was quickly scooped up by the turtle in orange.</p>
<p>"Donnie!" The tallest one, his mask was purple, ran to his companion's side and put a finger on my daughter's throat. My own heart stopped beating as I recognized the gesture, he was checking for a pulse.</p>
<p>"Let's get her to the lab." The words did nothing to quell the panic that threatened to overwhelm me. I surged forward to reach my daughter, the only thing that bound me to this world, when I felt something wrap around my ankles.</p>
<p>As I began to fall, knowing that I would not reach her, I felt my desperation swell and it burst through the dam of my silence.</p>
<p>"GGGGWWWWYYYYYYYYNNNNNNNN!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>commissioned art by <a href="https://taiyari.tumblr.com/">taiyari</a></p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The girl woke to the sound of her mother screaming her name and immediately wished that she hadn't. Her shoulder hurt so much that tears immediately escaped from her tightly shut eyes as her face scrunched up in pain. "M… mo… m…" She tried to call for her parent but could barely breath through her racking sobs and soon began to hyperventilate.</p>
<p>"Is she ok?" a panicked voice came from close above her head and she startled so bad that her eyes flew open and she forgot to breath altogether. That weird green boy with freckles was looking right at her.</p>
<p>"She's going into shock!" A large cool hand gripped her chin and forced her to look away from blue eyes into brownish-red ones. "Breath. Just take one big breath for me." She tried, he was weird and green too but his voice was soothing. Gwyn felt her chest rise then stall, she tried again, still she couldn't force the air past her throat. She was scared now. "Close your eyes." For some reason she found that she could obey this command and the vision of strange boys gave way to pink flashes across her closed eyelids. "Good girl, now breath in slowly." This time she felt the air make it past her throat and it hurt. She quickly exhaled but found that she could once again inhale and keep the pattern going.</p>
<p>"You're doing great." She recognized freckle-boy's voice again, though this time he spoke in a whisper. "We'll get you outta here and someplace safe. K dudette." She wanted to say something but was still far too scared. Instead she settled on scrunching her eyes tighter and giving a couple quick nods.</p>
<p>"Mikey take her up and over. Head east for three blocks and there should be a manhole cover in the back alley. I'll be right behind you. If you get to the lair before me wrap her in a blanket and see if she will drink some water." Gwyn tried to listen to the instructions herself but found that between breathing and pushing away the pain she had little room for anything else.</p>
<p>"Got it." She hissed as her shoulder shifted against his hard chest with the first upward jump. He paused and yelled down. "Which direction was that again?"</p>
<p>"Behind ANTONIO'S!"</p>
<p>"Dude, why didn't you say that in the first place." With that she felt him move again and each movement was a jolt of pain. She tried her very best to not cry but she was this was so much more painful than a scraped knee. Daddy had always told her that it was important to stay calm and not move around cause that would just make things hurt worse. She wondered if the green boys knew that rule, but then again she'd never been hurt by another person on purpose before, only by accident, so maybe they knew what they were doing. Despite her best efforts she felt the trails of moisture trace down the sides of her nose, she started to blink in an attempt to make them stop.</p>
<p>"Might be a good idea to keep those peepers shut. By the way what's your name little dudette?" She was starting to get used to the voice of this green boy. He sounded kinda friendly and was being nice to her, even if his too hard chest was hurting her shoulder. So she decided to trust him and keep her eyes closed. "Gwynevere."</p>
<p>He laughed and she liked it. "That's a mouthful. Looks like we both have totally awesome long names. Mine's Michelangelo but everyone calls me Mikey."</p>
<p>"My mom ca…"</p>
<p>"No wait. I'm great at this. I'll call you… hmmm... 'Nev'!"</p>
<p>She couldn't help but giggle though it hurt her head to do so. "But that doesn't make sense. My nickname is Gwyn."</p>
<p>"That's cool but I bet everyone calls you that." She could almost feel him smiling at her as the impact of another landing ran through her. She breathed through the pain, as her father had taught her, staying strong the way she had seen him do so many times. "Besides this is one night that you are NEVer gonna forget. So you should have a nickname from an expert to mark the occasion."</p>
<p>She didn't really like the way 'Nev' sounded but it was kinda like a gift. She wouldn't want to hurt his feelings by not accepting it. "OK. But... just between us." A smile was spreading across her lips before her face suddenly crumpled in pain and with a strangled high pitched breath her head lolled back and the world became black.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Mikey was glad that he had gotten her talking to him. He could tell that she was beyond frightened of them but hoped that she would be able to look past that soon. She needed to since her mom had just joined the 'mutant club'. Her giggle was adorable and made him wonder just how old she was. She sounded really young but her frame was solid, if petite, and she had a cherubic face that was painted with faint freckles but no make-up.</p>
<p>Ok so maybe 'Nev' wasn't his best work but at least it was unique. Mikey was pleased that she had accepted her 'secret nickname' but wondered who it was suppose to be a secret from. He pulled his attention away from her for a moment to focus on hoping down the fire escape. The last jump was just bit farther than he anticipated and had to tuck and roll to absorb the extra impact. That's when he heard her cry out and when he finished his landing on one knee it was plain to see that Nev had passed out.</p>
<p>"Not good. Not good." He looked up hoping to Donnie making his way to them but his brainy bro was no where to be found. It was too dangerous to go back, best just to continue onto the lair, Master Splinter would be there to help.</p>
<p>"Don't worry Nev you're gonna be ok. Like my bro is awesome with doctory type stuff and so is Sensei and they'll make you all better so no worries." As he kept up his one-sided conversation he made his way towards the manhole cover after making sure the coast was clear. He was momentarily distracted by a tantalizing aroma coming from a little further up the alley. "Mmmm… pizza. I hope you like pizza Nev cause we eat LOTS of it at the lair." He laid the girl on the ground so that he could pry up the heavy cover to the sewers. "I wonder what kind of pizza you like? I bet you're a pineapple kinda girl. Cause you're so sweet." Mikey laughed at his own joke as he finished heaving the lid to the side. "If you think that's good wait till you try jalapenos and jelly beans. That's some tasty eats." Mikey stood and rubbed his belly at the deliciousness, tongue lolling out and eyes closed. Quickly though he became aware that something was wrong. His plastron was sticky and when he examined his hand the wraps were stained a familiar shade of crimson. For a moment all he could do was look on dumbfounded before his gaze gradually shifted towards the small prone form nearby.</p>
<p>"Extremely not good." He rolled her to her side and through the hole in her silky top was able to see the burned, bleeding mess that was her shoulder. He didn't think that it had been like that when they had started out but looking down and seeing a chunk of charred skin where it had caught and stuck to the edge of his plastron it was all he could do not to lose his lunch. After a couple deep breaths to compose himself, Mikey tried to think about Donnie would do it this situation. "First gotta find something to stop the bleeding with." He patted himself down as if something would have just magically appeared in the last couple of minutes. His wraps were dirty from a full night of sewer trudging and fighting. Likewise his mask was drenched in sweat and too small to cover the wound. Thinking to his favorite comics he knew that at times like this the hero would always do something dramatic like tear a strip from his cape or take the shirt right off his back. This made Mikey pause, he didn't have a shirt to use but she did and though the thought made him a bit uncomfortable it was the best option available at the moment. "I promise Nev, I'm not creepy or nothin' but I got borrow your top for a little bit." He slid the article of clothing over her head while supporting her body with his. He was insanely relieved to find that she had on a pink tank top underneath and he hadn't comprised her modestly after all, though in a back corner of his brain he was reevaluating her age again.</p>
<p>With deft motions he formed the middle of the shirt into a compress then used the long sleeves to wrap around her chest and neck to hold it all in place. It was a poor imitation of what his brothers could have done but it would hold up until they reached the lair. He scooped her up again into his arms, making sure that her bad shoulder was facing away from him. Just as he was about to jump down a misplaced foot happened to slip in the small pool of blood that Gwyn had left on the pavement. It would have been a comedic sight, if not for the current circumstances, as the turtle flailed around attempting to regain his balance without dropping his precious cargo, succeed he did though, and huffed a relieved sigh.</p>
<p>With no further incidents he and Gwyn made it into the sewers and he ran as fast as he safely could, keenly aware that this was no time to play around. The sewers were quiet, filled with only the splash of his feet and their labored breaths, his with exertion and hers with unconscious pain. After what seemed to be an eternity a bright happy ringtone broke the silence and echoed off the sewer walls. Mikey stopped and took a knee to support the girl's body on his thigh so he could free an arm to answer the T-phone.</p>
<p>"Where are you Mikey!?" Leo's concerned demand blasted from the speakers.</p>
<p>"Dude where are you guys! Donnie was suppose to be right behind me! What gives?"</p>
<p>"Change of plans, we ended up taking the express home. How far from the lair are you? We're already here."</p>
<p>"I would say about 10 minutes away, just made the tracks. Hey Leo."</p>
<p>"Yeah Mikey, everything ok?"</p>
<p>"Tell Donnie… tell Donnie to be ready. The girl…" The younger turtle gulped with guilt but knew he had to relay the bad news. "... she's bleeding and hasn't woken up yet. I'm sorry I didn't mean for it to happen. I swear I didn't even know it was that bad and I didn't have anything else to use and I promise IdidmybestandthenIslippedintheblood…"</p>
<p>"She's bleeding and unconscious? Ok Mikey calm down, I know it wasn't your fault just get here as fast as you can." Leo even voice helped him settle down a little bit, until he heard the sounds of a scuffle in the background. "No wait! Raph! Stop Her!" Leo's voice sounded distant before blaring in his ear slit. "Get back here now but be careful. You have got one angry mutant mom headed your way."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As Mikey and Gwynevere flee the fight it's time to get a look at the action they leave behind from a different perspective.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>It wasn't bad enough that another canister hunt had gone wrong or that they had been too late to stop another human from being mutated but did the poor woman HAVE to have a daughter as well! It was like the universe is intent on making a highlight reel of our failures, oh and look here comes a Kraang firefight, perfect.</em> Though Leo was calm on the outside and doing his best to assess the situation for a positive outcome he was weary from the night's failures and feeling just a bit sarcastic. As Raph barreled past him, to engage the metal clad aliens as they let loose their first volley, he caught a glimpse of his bruiser brother's wickedly gleefully smirk. <em>It doesn't help that he's enjoying this so darn much.</em></p><p>Leonardo leapt into battle with a cry and took down the Kraang closest to him with his first downward strike, neatly slicing it open from shoulder to hip but leaving the gooey center intact to scramble away with a squeal. He had just kicked away another Kraang to give himself more room for his next attack when he heard a girlish scream to his left. His gut clenched with fear, that frequency only ever came from Mikey, he was slightly relieved to see his brother's shell heading towards a nearby dumpster to take cover behind it, Mikey seemed to be moving fine but that was no guarantee that he was uninjured. As Leo heard his youngest brother call for Donnie he also registered a pressure wave over his right shoulder and brought his blades up just in time to prevent the serrated bayonet from connecting with his skull. He would just have to trust the two youngest to look after each other as he rededicated himself to the battle. Their only real option was take down the Kraang in this alley as quickly as possible and get away before backup arrived.</p><p>He disassembled the gun above him with a scissoring motion before dropping down and sweeping the robot's legs out from underneath it. As the metal shell hit the ground in front of him, from behind the sound of a name screamed with anguish filled the air. Leo made sure to stab his current foe in the head, waiting to see pink eyes go dark before scanning the battlefield to see who had cried out.</p><p>The newly mutated woman was on the ground calling out, her arm reaching towards where Mikey and Donnie were hidden from his view. He noted that there were two Kraang hovering over the woman, one with a cable coming from it's personal saucer wrapped around the woman's ankles. Behind him the sound of a vehicular door opening alerted him that another robot was making it's move, only shifting his torso Leo threw his katana at the human clad alien settling into the van's drivers seat, the windshield shattered and sparks flew around the blade now lodged in it's chest, the false man looked down at the weapon with detachment before it's head fell forward while the rest of the body remained pinned upright .</p><p>Leonardo checked his immediate area, he had dispatched three Kraang and saw the remains of another two lying in the path that Raphael had taken. He could no longer hear the discharge of energy bolts and from the sounds of satisfied grunts accompanied by the screech of metal against metal coming from the backside of the van opposite him, his red-banned brother was enjoying mopping up the remaining Kraang-bots. Taking a breather Leo looked up and just caught Mikey making the last leap to the top of eastward building, he had something in his arms and the glimpse of bright neon pink sneakers before his brother disappeared made him realize that the girl had be the cause of distress, not Mikey himself.</p><p>Leo felt the guilt fall on his shoulders like a lead cape. He was so used to his brothers being able to fend for themselves that he had not taken into account the two innocents involved in the skirmish. Often Donnie took it upon himself to make sure that non-combatants stayed clear and safe, but Leo had given the responsibility of watching the girl to Mikey, granted at the time he thought that they would only be dealing with a single mutant and not a van-load of gun wielding Kraang. It made no difference, Leo had made the call and he could only hope that the child wouldn't suffer too much because of it. A shadow passed by his feet bringing him out of his guilt-ridden thoughts.</p><p>The two pink Kraang outfitted only in hover pods were passing above him, the limp form of the furry woman slung between them by metallic cables. Donnie passed him in hot pursuit, hopping on the hood of the van, then to the roof before launching himself, naginata blade out, to slice through the cable, sending the pink brain into the wall of the adjacent building with the blunted backswing. Leonardo was bare seconds behind his brother hoping on top of his target to reduce it's altitude before severing the restraining metal cord with his remaining katana. The unwilling passenger dropped with a thud to the pavement but a soft groan told Leo that at least she was alive and well enough for the moment. Donnie was instantly at her side, checking vitals.</p><p>Leo looked up at the sound of a piggish squeal to catch Raph with his leg still extended from punting one of the brain blobs. He couldn't hold back the smile that crossed his face as he tracked it's flight path and saw that it splat on the outer ring of the target plastered on an exterminators billboard two buildings away.</p><p>"Yeah! And the crowd goes wild!" Raphael raised his arms in the universal symbol of 'GOAL'</p><p>"Nice shot."</p><p>"You know it!" His younger brother smirked with pride as he crossed his arms over his plastron.</p><p>Donatello shook his head at the antics as he unwrapped the residual coils from around the prostate woman's ankles and shoulders. "You guys are so imma…" The words were cut off as an electric current coursed through both of their bodies.</p><p>"Donnie!" Both Leo and Raph yelled in unison as they ran to the aid of their electrocuted brother pausing a step away from him in momentary confusion as to how to resolve the dilemma without being shocked themselves. Quickly enough Leo grabbed the bo staff from it's wielder's back and knocked the offending tendrils away from the jerking bodies. Raph looked up at him with panicked eyes as he went to cradle the taller turtle, who was moaning with pain.</p><p>"Give me a second." Leonardo responded to the unvoiced query.</p><p>Both of the injured were taller than himself and Raphael, making them awkward to carry and neither seemed capable of walking away assisted or not in the immediate future. Leaving one behind to evacuate the other to safety was not an option, more Kraang could show up at anytime. As he strategized, Leo picked up his katana from where he had dropped it to grab Donnie's staff and made a mental note to retrieve it's twin from where it was still lodged in the driver's seat of the van. The VAN!</p><p>"Help me load them"</p><p>"Come again?"</p><p>"You want to drag two mutants bigger than yourself through the city and try to stay hidden or would you like to ride home in a nice inconspicuous van?"</p><p>Raph gave him a dirty look as he looped his arms under Donnie's armpits and nodded for Leo to lift the other end of his brainy brother. "Yeah well, It not like a bunch of teens gettin' in a unmarked van with a stranger always works out so good." Leo heard the mumbled jab but choose to ignore it. They set their brother on his carapace for a moment to allow Leo to hop in and drag him further in, who then rolled him onto his plastron for a more comfortable ride. Already Donatello was showing signs of waking, a hand moving across the back of his head as it slowly twisted from side to side.</p><p>After giving a quick pat to his brothers' shell for both their comfort, Leo felt better knowing that his sibling would be awake soon, he returned to the back of the vehicle where the sound of Raph's frustrated complaints were increasing in volume.</p><p>"Oh comon'... sersly… dang Lady you need to lay off the chilidogs."</p><p>Leo saw that his brother was trying to lift the furry woman on his own but was having no luck with it. Normally he would have reprimand the teen for his rudeness but the lady in question was passed out and it was not a battle worth having, though he did send him a tight frown, knowing it would relay the message just as effectively.</p><p>"Yeah yeah, just shud-up and help me."</p><p>While they were used to hoisting a fellow turtle, shells did an amazing job at keeping a torso rigid, Leo could see now how his burly brother was having a hard time. The woman was a floppy mass of dead weight and just plain awkward to maneuver. After a short struggle, some bickering on the proper way to approach the problem and some accidental groping which left Raph blushing and Leo mortified, the women was loaded into the back with Donnie, Raph riding along to keep and eye on them both. Leo shut the back doors and ran to the drivers seat, where he had to pry his katana from the chest of the human-looking Kraang-bot and ditch the body in the alley. The keys were in the ignition and the turtle-teen started the engine, backed out and made his way towards their home. He wasn't as familiar with navigating the city at street level as he was via rooftop or sewer but was able to find a manhole cover close enough to the lair without threatening to give away it's location. He made sure to park so badly, partially blocking the intersecting street, that a cop was sure come along soon enough and have the vehicle towed. The least he could do was make sure the Kraang got a couple of parking tickets for all the trouble they had put him through tonight, the thought made Leonardo smile as he hopped out to let the passengers free.</p><hr/><p>Donatello had been vaguely aware of his brothers loading him in the vehicle but didn't have the energy or the inclination to protest. Even now he could hear them squabbling by the open doors at the back of the van and saw no reason to get himself involved, hi body just hurt too much to be bothered. He was <em>really</em> getting tired of being shocked by alien technology or any technology for that matter. His own experiments were just as apt to tesla him as often as the Kraang-tech did. He felt a weight shifting in the back of the van quickly followed by the doors closing and the engine coming to life, Deciding that he really couldn't lie down on the job anymore the techy turtle sat up with a small grunt. He shook his head to clear away the last of the fuzziness from his brain and vision so that he could ascertain their current status.</p><p>"You aw'ight?"</p><p>"Yeah, what's a rescue mission without a little electric boogaloo." This earned him an amused snort from his temperamental brother. A pained groan from the van's other occupant cut off any further conversation. He and Raph exchanged a nervous glances, it looked like take two on formal introductions was about to begin.</p><p>Meeting new people was always a bit of a challenge for his family, the encounters more often than not started or ended with a fight. This occasion was no different but Donatello really wanted to do everything he could to make this particular mutant an ally, it was a small but crucial step to reuniting this woman, changed against her will, with one equally innocent little girl.</p><p>Donatello had heard her yell out for her daughter earlier so he was hopeful that a semblance of intelligence still remained within her new mutated form. Though it would be the best possible outcome for everyone involved Donnie still felt a bit of frustration at the scientific inconsistency of it all. How does the same substance strip the ability of cohesive thought and communication from brilliant men, like Kirby O'Neil, yet leave enough of both attributes in their enemies to make them a royal pain in his shell. It was unfair that this ooze that ruled and ruined so many lives refused to adhere to the boundaries of the scientific method so he could figure it all out. With so many variables that affected mutation the hopes of creating a viable retromutagen seemed insurmountable. Still here he was, now with two victims of fate to cure, both with daughters relying on him to restore their loved one's humanity. Great, no pressure.</p><p>Pushing these thoughts aside Donnie knelt beside the woman and gently shook her shoulder, hoping to rouse her more fully. The action had it's intended effect, though with a bit more vigor than he had anticipated. She sat bolt upright and scrambled as far back into the corner as she was able. She was panting and her pupils were pinpricks, the teenage terrapin could practically feel the fear coming off her in waves. Donatello raised both his hands with fingers spread wide to show that he was unarmed and meant her no harm, even as he noticed his brother silently drawing his sais.</p><p><em>Well they should at least TRY diplomacy first.</em> Donatello took a breath to steady his nerves and mentally crossed his fingers. <em>I hope this works.</em></p><p>"Hello ma'am. I can tell that you are very scared at the moment but please trust me, we mean you no harm." Dead stare. "OK… umm… well, my name is Donatello but you can call me Donnie. This is Raph and my brother Leo is driving us to a safe location." A couple of blinks. "When we get there you will get to meet our father and our youngest brother should be there as well with your little girl." Donnie paused, prepared for some kind of reaction or questions but she said nothing though her breathing had steadied to a more natural rhythm. Taking this as a positive sign he continued on. "I know we look strange but there is an explanation. My brothers and I all started out as regular pet turtles, but were mutated when we were exposed to an unusual chemical. That chemical had a reaction in our bodies with the last foreign DNA we came in contact with, which was human, so we became a blend of both human and turtle. The result is what you are seeing now." She closed her eyes for a moment and he could see that she was trying to absorb the reality of his explanation. Still Donatello could see the confusion in her eyes when she looked at him again, she hadn't quite faced her place in this new world unfolding before her yet he knew that she had to accept it. She was a mutant now and the Kraang were hunting her, if she were to stay safe she would have know the basic facts. He lowered his hands to rest on his lap as he knelt, keeping his movements slow and steady so as not to startle her. "It doesn't just work on animals though, humans can be affected in a similar fashion. Our father was once a man called Hamato Yoshi, before he was exposed to the same chemical as we were. The same chemical that you have been."</p><p>Finally there was a noticeable reaction. The woman stretched out her hand and looked at it, seemingly examining it closely for the first time since the accident. She then dropped that hand to her thigh, where it was exposed through a large rip in the fabric of her long skirt, and ran her fingers slowly through the fur she found there. He was distracted by a cough from Raph's direction and was amused to find his brother averting his eyes and a slight blush on his beak. Upon realizing that his brother had caught him Raph instantly cleared his throat and made a point to look directly at her.</p><p>"Yah ain't completely human nomor'. Get the pictur' sistur'..."</p><p>"VonHertz"</p><p>"Pardn'"</p><p>"Sister VonHertz." The woman seemed to have interpreted his brother's pause as a request for her to fill in her name. Both the response and the name itself were odd enough that Donnie filled it away in his mental "research later" file. "But I suppose you can can me Mrs. VonHertz." She spoke in a distracted tone, but Donatello was thrilled. He had seen intelligence behind her fear but to know that she could actually communicate with them was a huge weight off of his shoulders.</p><p>"Ms. Vo.."</p><p>"MRS." Her head snapped up to look the purple masked turtle in the eye and he could see the personality that sparked in her own. There was a strength there that reminded him so much of his own parent that he was instantly intrigued. He then noted that the van had stopped and sure enough when he looked back Leo was swinging the back doors wide, a manhole cover open just a few feet beyond.</p><p>"Everything ok back here?"</p><p>"Just peachy."</p><p>"Yes. Mrs. VonHertz…" Donnie gave her a wide gap-toothed smile. "... and I were just getting acquainted."</p><p>Though she was still a bit shaken they were able to get the mutant down into the sewers with some gentle coaxing and the group made their way to the lair at a steady pace. While Donnie was updating Leo on his perspective of their skirmish with the Kraang and that he had sent Mikey ahead, Mrs. VonHertz had asked about her daughter. After receiving confirmation that the girl had been scared but was ok she fell into silence. Donnie kept up a one-sided conversation along the way home with her, during which she responded with only small nods or shakes of her head. They had just reached the turnstiles when the brainy turtle could no longer contain himself, he had his suspicions about her mutated form but wanted the confirmation from her.</p><p>"Mrs. VonHertz, what was the last animal you can remember touching before the accident?"</p><p>She looked at him before examining the tip of one finger. "I was at my… at a friend's house and he had just gotten a new pet a couple weeks beforehand. Poor thing must have still been nervous cause she bit me when I was holding her. Such a cute little ferr…" Her voice dropped off and her eyes took on a haunted look. Donnie followed her gaze to see that she was looking in Leo's direction as he was on his T-phone. Then he focused on his brother's side of the conversation.</p><p>"..eeding and unconscious? Ok Mikey calm down, I know it wasn't your fault just get here as fast as you can."</p><p>Next to him Mrs. VonHertz transformed from a quiet solemn figure to snarling enraged demon. She took off down the abandoned subway tracks in the opposite direction they had approached the lair from, knocking Donnie to the ground in her wake. He just sat on the ground stunned for a moment till Leonardo addressed him quickly before leaving to give chase. "Get the med kits ready, we're gonna need them." Just before he rounded the corner his oldest brother called back a final instruction. "Let sensei know we're about to have company!"</p><p>Suddenly Donatello wasn't sure which furry mutant parent he would rather face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Raphael brought up the rear as they made their way to the lair, only half listening to Donnie as the brainiac droned on. Though the night hadn't been that bad for him personally, any night he got to pulverize some puny pink aliens was a good one, he couldn't help but feel bad for the figure in front of him. Raph shuttered as the scene floated across his memory, just watching the way her body had convulsed in pain as it changed was a bit hard to shake off, he couldn't imagine what it must have felt like. Still within a few minutes she was up and ready to fight, the lady had some spunk.</p><p>Raph sighed as they neared the entrance to his subterranean home, it was pretty awful that this Mrs. VonHertz had been mutated, but there was little he could do to help the situation any further. He had done his part, beating up the Kraang that had tried to take her as a lab experiment, now it was up to the rest of his family to take it from here. With that thought in mind he passed his brother and Mrs. VonHertz to make his way towards the kitchen for a drink, punting brain slugs was thirsty work. Barely a step past them he happened to glance up into Leo's face and saw his blue mask creased with worry and fear followed by anger flash in his eyes. The T-phone he had been talking into lowered as his other hand shot out in a pleading gesture towards the two behind Raph where sound of a shell hitting concrete filled the red masked turtle's ears.</p><p>"No wait! Raph! Stop Her!"</p><p>It was a testament to Raphael's growing acceptance of Leonardo as their leader that he didn't question the order. His thirst forgotten he turned on the ball of one foot and raced after the mutant woman, ignoring his fallen brother he leaped over the turnstiles, planting one hand for the extra clearance and momentum. She was already racing along the subway tracts but not so far ahead that Raphael felt himself unable to overcome her. She was NOWHERE near Mikey's speed and untrained in the obstacles of tunnel running as evidenced by her occasional stumble as she tried to maintain her bipedal gait. The burly terrapin made a small hop to continue his pursuit along the top of a rail, it gave him smoother terrain and a slight height from with to launch himself, thought he guessed she would exhaust herself before he felt the need to make such a drastic measure. He was wrong. Ahead of him, echoing off the tunnels he heard the unmistakable sound of his bro in orange.</p><p>"... ease, you gotta wake up. Don't worry Nev you'll be fiAGGGAHHH!" Mikey skidded to a stop as he rounded the corner and saw both of them barreling his direction. He laughed nervously "ahaha… Hi Gwyn's mom. We were just on our way to see you." He shrugged abashedly and the movement caused the girl he cradled to moan in pain. If the situation was bad you could always count on Mikey to do something to make it worse.</p><p>From Raph's position he could actually see her hackles spike up and knew she was going to attack his idiotic little brother. Pouring on a last spurt of speed he lunged at her and managed to tackle her firmly around the waist and they both fell into puddle of moist sludge. Michelangelo snickered at the sight before a growl from the other turtle seemed to remind him that he was suppose to taking advantage of the distraction.</p><p>"Thanks Bro!" was all he heard before Mikey launched himself to the higher concrete platform that lined the sides of the tracks and raced away in the direction of home. Raph tried to adjust his hold on the mutant to wrestle her into a more secure position but it was proving extremely difficult despite his advanced skills. Every time he attempted to pin her she would twist, wiggle and snap her pointed teeth at any nearby appendage. So, for couple minutes they were nothing more than a rolling shifting ball of shell, mud, fur and fabric. The extended grapple would have normally been in the young terrapin's favor as he wore his opponent down but the terrain put him at a disadvantage. Though Raph didn't mind getting down and dirty, as they rolled in the mud the sludge made her clothes and fur slick and his hold became more and more tenuous till she managed to scramble out from underneath him. A departing kick from her back leg, as she scurried away on all fours, connected solidly with his left shoulder and forced him to fall back hitting his shell heavily on a rail.</p><p>It wasn't a major blow but the vibrations left him winded for a few precious seconds, enough to know that he wouldn't catch up to her before she reached the lair again. Not willing to give into defeat he quickly got up and trotted towards the turnstiles, where he was in time to see his brother guarding the entrance of their home. Leo kept her attention on him with the threat of his blades while Raphael saw his sensei come up behind her and jab quickly towards the back of her neck. It must have been nothing short of beginner's luck that she dodged the precision blow, it had to be, because Splinter never missed and the shock of it as she rounded on the rat master was apparent on his face.</p><p>"Where is my DAUGHTER!" she screamed with rage as she lunged at the taller mutant, mouth wide and aimed at his master's throat. Raphael's heart stopped as he registered that both he and Leo were racing forward in an attempt to put themselves between the death blow and their father. In hindsight it was foolish fear to have, this was Master Splinter after all.</p><p>Faster than they could blink Splinter stepped to the side and then brought an elbow down between her shoulder blades while still twisting into the blow he brought his other arm around to wrap her neck in a choke hold, then pulling up and causing her back to arch to prevent from being being strangled, the distraction allowed him to capture both her wrists in his other hand.</p><p>He pulled the woman tight against the length of his body to keep her maneuvering room to a minimum. "You will be calm or I will make you so. Do you understand?"</p><p>She responded by curling up her lip and growling, Raphael got a clear view of one sharp canine. He also saw Master Splinter barely flex the forearm around her neck, it was apparently enough to make her reconsider. Her face smoothed out and her body slightly relaxed in reluctant submission. It was rare that they got to see their sensei in action outside the dojo so Raph was having a hard time containing the child-like admiration he could feel bubbling up inside. No doubt that their dad was a badass, though he could never share that particular sentiment with his father. Still he couldn't suppress the smile of pride that crossed his face.</p><p>Though the woman seemed to have given up Master Splinter did not release his hold on her and marched her forcibly through their home, with a backwards glance to his two sons indicating that they should follow him. Raph and Leo looked at each other with questioning eyes but then just shrugged and obeyed their father's silent command. As they passed the door to the lab she resumed her struggle against Master Splinter's hold though this time with a more verbal component.</p><p>"I can smell her shampoo. I know she's in there. LET ME GO! She's MY child! I can smell..." Her angry demands turned quiet with pleading desperation and she went still "... blood. So much blood. Please, you have to take me to her."</p><p>Splinter slid his arm down to encircle her shoulders but didn't release her wrists and continued to lead her through the main area of the lair, heading in the direction of the bathroom. "I know. The odor will seem very strong to you, but you must trust me, it is but a small amount. In time you will learn to distinguish these things. She is safe and we will care for her. I promise, you will see her soon but first you must attend to yourself." They had reached the bathroom and like the brown noser he was, Leo stepped forward to open the door for them. Splinter and the mutated woman entered and stopped in front of the mirror, finally releasing her hands but placing his own in a comforting gesture on her shoulders.</p><p>Mrs. VonHertz touched one hand to the mirror and the other to her face. It was sad to watch the final realization of what she was sink into her eyes. She was a freak now, just like the rest of them. On top of that she looked pretty horrible at the moment. Her clothes were disheveled and ripped and her fur was coated in sewer muck and sticking out at odd angles. Not to mention the odor, Raph wasn't exactly a spring daisy at the moment either, but something about the wet fur just made it worse.</p><p>"The mother your daughter is seeking comfort from is not here. We will do all in our power to help but for now you must listen to me." Splinter conversed with her via the reflection overtop of the woman's head. "Take a moment to cleanse and calm yourself. Trust me," Raph saw his sensei smile and heard the humor enter his voice. "you do not want this mess to dry in your fur." With a pat on the shoulder he left her there staring at her reflection, striding over to where Leonardo and Raphael waited outside the door. "Leonardo, you will come with me. Raphael you will attend to our guest's needs."</p><p>"Oh come on." The adrenaline was wearing off and Raph was exhausted, all the teen really wanted to do was relax, not play butler.</p><p>It was apparently the wrong moment for teenage backtalk because the rat-master turned on him with fury in his deep red eyes. "There is a wounded little girl in the lab, her mutated mother in the bathroom and no mutagen canisters retrieved, which was the entire point of your mission." Splinter paused and continued in a slow dangerous manner. "Would you care to take your brother's place in explaining to me how this all came about?"</p><p>Raphael swallowed "No Sensei."</p><p>"Very well then, keep her here until I come for you both." With that he walked away with Leonardo a step behind, shoulders drooping in defeat.</p><p>All that Raph could think was that maybe it was good <strong>not</strong> to be the leader somedays. That and he never did get his glass of water.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>